Two British Paralympians – Helene Raynsford and Gregor Ewan – have been announced as the athletes who will ignite the Paralympic Flame at Stoke Mandeville, UK, the birthplace of the Paralympic Movement on Saturday (24 August) as it begins its journey to Paris.
Raynsford was the first ever Paralympic champion in Para rowing when the sport made its debut at Beijing 2008 while Ewan is a three-time Paralympian in wheelchair curling.
Saturday’s event marks the first time the Paralympic Flame has been lit at Stoke Mandeville since the London 2012 Paralympic Games. From Paris 2024 onwards, the Paralympic Flame will begin its journey to the Games from Stoke Mandeville. This is part of efforts by the International Paralympic Committee (IPC), ParalympicsGB, and WheelPower to increase global awareness of the foundational role Stoke Mandeville and Sir Ludwig Guttmann played in the birth and development of the Paralympic Movement.
Helene Raynsford, who is also Chair of the ParalympicsGB Athletes’ Commission, said: “Words cannot describe the honour of being chosen to light the Paralympic Flame alongside Gregor at the birthplace of the Paralympic Movement. It will be a very special moment ahead of what will be spectacular Paralympic Games.”
Gregor Ewan, who made his Paralympic debut at Sochi 2014 winning bronze, said: “Stoke Mandeville is such an integral part of the fabric of the Paralympic Movement, and I am so excited to be chosen for this extremely special occasion.”
Following the lighting of the Paralympic Flame, the first torchbearer of the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games Torch Relay will be IPC President Andrew Parsons who will run a short circuit of the Stoke Mandeville athletics track.
The Paris 2024 Paralympic Torch Relay, which will be known as the “Forerunners Relay”, will begin in earnest on Sunday (25 August). The Flame will pass from the United Kingdom to France through the Channel Tunnel. Twenty-four British torchbearers will symbolically embark on the journey through the tunnel and handover the flame at the halfway point to 24 French Para torchbearers who will carry the Paralympic Flame into France.
When the Paralympic Flame arrives in Calais, it will multiply into 12 separate flames symbolising the 12-day duration of Paris 2024, France’s first Paralympic Games. These flames will spread to the outskirts of France before no fewer than 1,200 Forerunners take part in 12 simultaneous relays covering around 50 towns. The relays will converge in Paris on 28 August, where the Paralympic Cauldron will be lit at the Paralympic Games Opening Ceremony.
The Paralympic Torch Relay route was designed in collaboration with the French Paralympic and Sports Committee, with the aim of highlighting areas that are committed to greater inclusion in sport. It has also been designed to highlight the sporting and committed cities closest to the Games, as well as cities that are symbolic of France’s history and heritage.
The Paris 2024 Paralympic Torch Relay is organised with the support of its Presenting Partners, Coca-Cola, Banque Populaire and Caisse d’Epargne.